Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

P, B. O'BRIEN.

THILL COUPLING.

Patented Apr. 28, 1885.

Fig.4

INVENTOR 7 (-3 H/H m WITNESSES: 90 1 W ATTORNEY u. PETERS, Pbo o-Lilhogmp UNITED STATES PATRICK B. OBRIEN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

THlLL COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,479, dated April 28, 1885.

Application filed August 2 1884. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK B. OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thill-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in thill-couplings; and it consists in a novel spring for preventing rattle of the thilleye on its bolt, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved spring arranged in a thill-coupling, shown in section. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of an old style of spring, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my auxiliary spring. Fig. 4 shows a blank from which my auxiliary spring is formed by bendlng.

Referring to the drawings, A designates an ordinary thill-clip, B a thill-eye, and Ca thillspring of ordinary form. This style of spring, if made sufliciently strong, cannot easily be inserted between the thill-eye and clip, and set-screws or other means have been employed for adjusting the tension of the spring. To this end I have devised an auxiliary spring, D, adapted to operate in conjunction with the old style of spring referred to, and form a double spring, which shall possess the requisite elasticity, but having each of its parts sufficiently flexible to easily press into position in the thill-coupling. The spring D is formed of flat bar spring-steel bentin the form of a loop, and has pointsf on its ends bent at right angles to the bar. These points are received into corresponding holes, 2', or depressions at the ends of the spring C, and serve to hold the spring D in place in the spring C.

As an article of manufacture, the spring D is easily made from bar-steel cut to suitable lengths, forming blanks H, having their ends trimmed to form the points f. These points are then bent at right angles to the blank, and the latter is bent to form a loop, as shown in Fig. 3.

In operation, after the old style of spring C has been placed in position between the thill-eye B and clip A, the spring D is compressed until its points f pass between the ends of the spring C, and when the said points are coincident with the holes z in the spring C the spring D isallowed to expand, thepoints f entering the holes 2', and thus both springs are retained together and act as a single spring. The spring C,without the hole i, has been used in thill-couplings, and is not here claimed; but,

Having described my invention, what I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a t-hillcoupling, an auxiliary spring bearing between and expanding thelimbs of an ordinary looped-shaped thill-coupling spring, substantially in the manner described.

2. In a thill-cou pling, the looped-shaped spring D, provided with prongsf at its ends, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a thill-coupling spring, 0, the holes or seats 2' at its ends for the reception of corresponding points, f, of an auxiliary spring, substantially as described.

4. In a thill-coupling, the combinatiomwith an ordinary looped-shaped spring, 0, of an auxiliary spring, D, as and for the purpose specified.

PATRICK B. O BRIEN.

Vitnesses:

DAVID K. ANDREWs, WARD N IOHOLS. 

